Ecuador's Oil - The Curse of Abundance

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world and home to indigenous tribes. It also holds a third of the country's oil reserves. Ecuador had previously proposed it would leave the oil in the ground in exchange for international compensation, but drilling is now underway inside Yasuni, with China a major stakeholder in new oil deals. The Ecuadorian Government argues if the oil is drilled in the right way Yasuni's ecosystems and the traditional cultures and ways of life will not be damaged, but critics fear extracting the oil is causing serious environmental damage to the national park.